Varsity Blues: Restaurant Closed While Ownership Restructures

Visitors who may have wandered down Town Center Drive last weekend headed for a beer and a burger were greeted with a surprise. Varsity Draft House, which emerged after a hasty closure and reopening of the former Tilted Kilt earlier this year, has closed according to a sign posted on the front door.

A sign on the door of Varsity Draft House from Saturday, May 9, 2015 announcing the closure of the restaurant.

Sources close to the restaurant have indicated that the “temporary” closure is only of the space, and that when doors reopen, the Varsity name will be no more. The owners have sought to sell a majority of the restaurant to a new investor, or sell the entire operation outright. Complicating the issue further, R&J Kilts, LLC the owner of Varsity and Tilted Kilt formerly is currently involved with litigation with Tilted Kilt according to court records.

The restaurant’s website remains the same as their opening day, with an invitation to wait for their “grand opening.” Their accounts on Twitter and Instagram have seemingly vanished without a trace. Management from the restaurant have not returned calls for comment.

The restaurant was not particularly well received, even after shifting to be more “family friendly.” Numerous complaints about the quality of food and service dot the internet. Their menu, despite being crafted by a 20+ year veteran of the restaurant industry, failed to establish an identity of it’s own. Then general manager Richard Moore was boastful of the hamburgers, which often were indistinguishable as being any different than any other burger at a chain restaurant in town. Online comments on Yelp expressed frustration at frequent instances where the restaurant would run out of ingredients. A recent comment from last Friday evening noted that the restaurant was empty at what should be a prime time.